Canton, OH Special Events & Permits: Sidewalk Dining & Cafés (2026)

Chapter 1153 lets restaurants and retail food establishments in Business Zoning Districts and Target Investment Zones put tables on their own premises (an Outdoor Dining Area) or on the public sidewalk (a Sidewalk Cafe), but only as an accessory use and only after the Planning Director approves a permit under Section 1153.03. Applicants submit three copies of the application plus supporting documentation to the Department of Planning with a fifty dollar ($50.00) filing fee paid to the Zoning Department, and must follow the Design Guidelines for Outdoor Dining Areas and Sidewalk Cafes that Planning provides.

In the Central Business District an architectural barrier, decorative chain and bollards, landscaping, or decorative fencing must enclose the seating area; the barrier must stand between thirty and forty-two inches tall, be durable enough to resist wind and incidental contact, and may include movable sections for access. The Planning Director sets a required unobstructed sidewalk width case by case, targeting six feet but never allowing less than four feet, weighing pedestrian and vehicular safety and neighborhood character. No picnic-style tables are allowed, seating cannot be counted toward a restaurant's parking requirement, and every applicant must submit a litter control plan covering trash receptacle placement and policing frequency; failing to follow that plan is itself a permit violation.

Operators must also name the City of Canton as an additional insured on general liability coverage of at least one million dollars for as long as the area exists.